Innovation
Aligning temperature and energy through hydronic balancing Hydronic balancing is necessary for fault-free and energy-optimised heating or cooling. It is just as important as the correct planning and installation of the system. SAUTER offers various regulating valves to solve the task. The desire for a comfortable room temperature might sound simple, but this requirement in itself has become a socio-political issue. After all, heating, hot water and air conditioning account for a major part of a building’s energy consumption. A clear goal has been set in place: to drastically reduce the energy consumption of buildings all around the world. Building specifications and standards are one way of achieving this. At the same time, positive up-take in all industries – and implementation at a local level – can yield the desired outcome. This is where HVAC systems play a critical role.
Temperature and energy under control Hydronic HVAC systems use water or water mixtures as an energy medium. The fluid is heated (or cooled) and then transported by pumps to the location where it delivers its energy. Pipe systems have a highly complex design with different nominal diameters and pipe lengths. Water, on the other hand, follows the laws of physics and takes “the path of least resistance”, if this results in the energy medium being unevenly distributed in the system, the heat output in the connected rooms will be impacted.
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SAUTER FACTS No 40
Such system problems are often invisible but their consequences, sadly, are not. These may include energy inefficiency, limited user comfort and high operating costs. “Dynamic hydronic balancing” however can be performed quickly and easily. This keeps the volume flow constant and thus, in turn, the temperature level. PICVs (pressure independent control valves) instead of standard regulating valves are used. They respond, as the name suggests, to the changing pressure conditions in the heating and cooling systems. They therefore maintain the water quantity required where it is consumed, for example in the radiator or the heated/chilled ceiling. “Dynamic” in this context means that water volume distribution remains the same, regardless of consumption.
